The use of a multiple attribute decision-making method and value stream mapping in solving the pacemaker location problem

Design and evaluation of a Lean Manufacturing framework using Value Stream Mapping (VSM) for a plastic bag manufacturing unit

A general holistic framework, also called a process—named “Lean Product Development Flow (LPDF)”—for organizing the engineering work of Product Development (PD), has been proposed as a contribution to the emerging field of Lean Systems Engineering. The framework is based on Lean Principles, with emphasis on PD value‐pulling workflow pulsed by takt periods. The value is defined as (1) mission assurance/product quality, (the traditional goals of Systems Engineering) and (2) reduced program cost and schedule achieved by a radical reduction of waste. LPDF is recommended for smaller design programs based on a high degree of legacy knowledge, with technologies mature enough so that the program feasibility is not in question. LPDF may involve limited‐scope research, provided that it can be identified early in the program, and carried out separate from the main workflow. The paper is focused on aerospace and defense programs, which are presently burdened with as much as 60–90% of waste, but the process is also applicable to commercial programs. LPDF can be applied to the entire PD, to one or more milestones, and to a multilevel program. LPDF requires both detailed preparations and disciplined execution. The preparations include detailed Value Stream Mapping, separation of research from the main workflow, parsing of the Value Stream map into Takt Periods, architecting the LPDF team using dynamic allocation of resources, and team training. LPDF execution is organized as a flow through a series of short and equal work Takt Periods, each followed by an Integrative Event for structured, comprehensive coordination. Strategic and flexible tactical mitigations of uncertainties must be applied during the flow. LPDF also requires excellent leadership of a Chief Engineer, modeled after Toyota and Honda, who is a dedicated program “owner,” an expert systems designer, a strong leader focused on the program and product integrity, and skilled in consensus‐building. The Chief Engineer is responsible for the entire program, with Assistant Chiefs assisting in selected technical areas, and a Project Manager assisting with program administration. An industrial pilot program is currently being undertaken to validate the method. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 7: 352–376, 2004

In the dynamic environment of healthcare, hospital management constantly seeks methods to enhance performance and reduce inefficiencies. This study explores the implementation of the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology in hospital management to optimize performance and minimize waste. Lean Six Sigma, a combination of Lean management and Six Sigma, is renowned for its systematic, data-driven approach in improving process efficiency and quality. We conducted a comprehensive analysis in a tertiary care hospital, employing LSS tools such as DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) framework, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis. The study focused on critical areas such as patient flow, inventory management, and operational processes. Our findings reveal significant improvements in patient wait times, reduction in inventory costs, and enhanced operational efficiency. The application of LSS led to a more patient-centric approach, streamlined processes, and a culture of continuous improvement within the hospital. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on LSS in healthcare and provides a practical framework for hospital administrators seeking to implement efficiency-enhancing strategies.

Product yield directly affects production cost. Thus manufacturers seek to quickly enhance product yield during the development and mass-production processes. In other words, when a yield loss occurs, the root causes should be found rapidly in both the development and mass-production phases. When a yield loss is encountered, the traditional yield enhancement approach is to collect all production-related data to perform big data analysis in order to find out the root causes of affecting yield and remedy them. However, production-related data are extremely large and complicated, which makes it hard to search for the root causes of a yield loss. This leads to the problem of high-dimensional variable selection. To solve this problem, a scheme of Key-variable Search Algorithms (KSAs) is proposed in this paper. The inputs of this KSA scheme include production routes, process data, inline data, defects, and final inspection results; while the outputs are search results and their corresponding reliance indices. The search results are the key stages that cause the yield loss or the key variables that are the root causes of the yield loss. The thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) process is adopted as the illustrative example to demonstrate the KSA scheme.

Design space and robustness analysis of batch and counter-current frontal chromatography processes for the removal of antibody aggregates

Introduction. The turbulence of global food markets, amplified by war-related risks, logistical disruptions, and resource price shocks, requires agribusinesses to adopt approaches that simultaneously reduce costs, enhance quality, and ensure adaptive responsiveness. Under these conditions, lean management emerges not merely as a set of operational techniques but as an integrated managerial paradigm capable of transforming the operational models of agricultural enterprises. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical generalization and empirical justification of lean management as a driver of agribusiness competitiveness under the turbulence of global food markets. Methodology. The study applies a systematic literature review (Toyota Production System/“Toyota Way”, Lean HRM, lean–agile–resilient–green frameworks), a comparative analysis of practices in crop production, livestock, food processing, and agrologistics, as well as analytical mapping of tools (value stream mapping, 5S, Kaizen/PDCA, Heijunka, Jidoka, SMED, total productive maintenance, just-in-time) to process metrics (cycle time, waste, defect rates, inventory turnover). The synthesis is presented through a causal chain model “tool – mechanism – outcome – competitive advantage.” Results. The findings demonstrate that: (i) in crop production, standardization and pull systems reduce non-value-adding operations and production costs; (ii) in livestock farming, visual control and standardized routines improve herd productivity and optimize labor and feed use; (iii) in food processing, continuous flow and SMED reduce downtime and variability in quality; (iv) in agrologistics, synchronization of “field-to-port” chains, slot/kanban systems, and total productive maintenance, strengthened by Industry 4.0 solutions, accelerate turnover and enhance service reliability. It is substantiated that cultural and organizational factors (leadership, employee engagement, lean-oriented HRM) are critical for sustainable results. Collectively, these effects confirm that lean management directly enhances the competitiveness of agribusiness enterprises by lowering costs, stabilizing product quality, and increasing adaptability to market and logistics shocks.

컬러 LCD(liquid crystal display) 모니터의 광학적 상에 대한 성능을 평가하기 위하여 LCD 모니터를 포함한 모든 광학계의 파장별 공간주파수 반응에 가중치를 부여한 진폭전달함수(modulation transfer function ; MTF)를 이용한 다색광전달함수(polychromatic modulation transfer function ; PMTF)를 제안한다. 서로 다른 진폭들을 갖는 적색(R), 녹색(G), 청색(B)의 3개의 막대형 LCD 단위물체를 이용한 컬러 LCD의 PMTF의 시뮬레이션 결과와 실험적 결과가 잘 일치하며, 이 결과 컬러 LCD의 결상성능은 단색으로 측정하는 MTF 및 가시광의 전파장대를 사용하는 백색광 MTF와는 다른 R, G, B의 3색에 대한 PMTF로 측정하늘 것이 보다 적절하다. We propose a method for evaluating the image quality of color liquid crystal display(LCD) monitors by using the polychromatic modulation transfer function(PMTF), which is calculated from the modulation transfer function(MTF) weighted by the overall color response of the system including the test LCD monitor. We confirm that experimental results using the PMTF agree well with simulated results of the PMTF of a color LCD monitor by using three bar targets with different amplitudes and three elementary colors such as red(R), green(G), and blue(B). As a results, we should choose the PMTF instead of the white color MTF or monochromatic MTF in order to evaluate correctly the image quality of color LCD monitors.

Camera calibration with active standard Gaussian stripes for 3D measurement

An autostereoscopic liquid crystal display with a polarized parallax barrier

This paper describes the fabrication of backlight units (BLUs) for a liquid crystal display (LCD) based on a novel planar-gate electron source with patterned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) formed by electrophoretic deposition. The electric field distributions and electron trajectories of this triode structure are simulated according to Ansys software. The device structure is optimized by supporting numerical simulation. The field emission results show that the emission current depends strongly on the cathode-gate gap and the gate voltage. Direct observation of the luminous images on a phosphor screen reveals that the electron beams undergo a noticeable expansion along the lateral direction with increasing gate voltage, which is in good agreement with the simulation results. The luminous efficiency and luminance of the fabricated device reaches 49.1 lm/W and 5500 cd/m2, respectively. All results indicate that the novel planar-gate electron source with patterned CNTs may lead to practical applications for an electron source based on a flat lamp for BLUs in LCD.

Synthetic water-soluble polymers are popular in industry and they are produced in large scale owing to their wide spectrum of applications. In particular, the polyvinyl alcohol polymer (PVA), a well-known refractory pollutant, is abundant in wastewater effluents since it is heavily used in industry as paper coating and polarization layer in liquid crystal displays (LCDs). These polymers are non-biodegradable and contaminant to water resources. Alternatively, they can be effectively removed by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). This study investigates the photo-oxidative degradation of aqueous PVA solution in UV/H2O2 photoreactors and the effect of hydrogen peroxide feeding strategies on the photoreactor performance. The research covers thoroughly the impact of operating conditions on the polymer number average molecular weight (Mn), TOC content, and H2O2 residual under batch, fed-batch and continuous modes of operation. The experimental results show that the performance of the fed-batch photoreactor was higher than the batch system for similar experimental conditions revealing that the way H2O2 is fed into the system has a considerable effect on the PVA degradation. The experimental result of batch system was used as a guide to develop a photochemical kinetic model of the PVA degradation in UV/H2O2 batch process that describes the disintegration of the polymer chains in which the statistical moment approach was considered. The model predictions are in good agreement with data. Realizing the limitations of batch and fed-batch UV/H2O2 processes, an innovative continuous treatment technique was devised to enhance the process performance and to minimize UV dosage. Response surface methodology (RSM), based on Box-Behnken method, was adopted for design set of experiments required to determine the impact of operating variables and their interaction on the process performance. Finally, the results show that Mn was reduced from 130 kg/mol to 24.9, 20.3, and 2.2 kg/mol, corresponding to percent TOC removal of 41.5, 64.2 and 94.4 and H202 residual of 17, 3 and 1% were achieved in batch, fed-batch (120-min), and continuous (30-min) UV/H2O2 photoreactors, respectively. In addition, the overall power consumption of the process was assessed to determine the economic incentive for continuous feeding strategy and ensure the possibility of the process scale-up.

This paper presents a focused lean improvement case on a two‑operator seatbelt sub‑assembly cell at a North American Tier‑1 automotive supplier, producing above its designed combined cycle time (actual ~32.2 sec vs. designed 30.3 sec). Hidden losses were identified in motion, layout, and sequencing rather than machine performance. A structured improvement approach combined Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Modular Arrangement of Predetermined Time Standards (MODAPTS) motion coding, Yamazumi load analysis, and low‑cost physical rearrangement. Baseline MODAPTS breakdown revealed avoidable walking, redundant reaches, one‑handed idle, and a micro‑wait at a shared press between the two workstations representing on average 3-6 theoretical seconds of recoverable time per cycle. Targeted countermeasures such as point‑of‑use material repositioning, two‑hand synchronous picking, workload balancing, press control relocation and standardized micro‑sequence delivered a 13.2% cycle time reduction, lifted balance efficiency to 99.6%, and reduced lead time by over 21.9%, all without capital automation. A disciplined combination of micro-motion analysis and lean flow tools is shown to significantly enhance manual assembly performance. This case demonstrates that targeted method and layout refinements are sufficient to unlock latent capacity, enabling the system to exceed its initial design specifications.

We report a continuous flow method for the process intensification of commercially important propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT) monomers. A new four-step synthetic route was designed to make the whole process more economical and continuous flow amenable. Apart from being safe and having a higher throughput via continuous flow, we could optimize each of the synthetic steps to quantitative conversion. GC–MS analysis was used to monitor each of the processes during optimization. The overall process could be completed in around 65 min, starting from the commercially available materials, as compared to the few days via the reported batch processes. Furthermore, we have shown that the most critical step of the Williamson etherification could be intensified via continuous flow to the space–time yield (STY) of 63 g/h/L as compared to 0.16 g/h/L via the traditional batch process. As all the synthetic steps in our continuous flow process were optimized to quantitative conversions, it opens up the possibility of telescoping of the whole process. We believe that our findings will be able to fill the existing gap in the process intensification for the synthesis of commercially important ProDOT-based monomers.

Solar oxidation and removal of arsenic – Key parameters for continuous flow applications

Bi-stable displays form the foundation of a novel and attractive LCD technology. From now on, images can be maintained on the LCD after driving voltages have been withdrawn from the electrodes. In low frame-rate applications such as e-books, e-labels, smartcards etc., this offers a major improvement in power consumption and battery life. However, bi-stable displays require high driving voltages and complex waveforms. Furthermore, the nature of some applications doesn't allow the use of relatively large passive components. This rules out more traditional approaches for high-voltage generation with external coils or capacitors. This paper describes the design of completely integrated and programmable high-voltage generators capable of generating output voltages up to 50V out of a 3 V supply voltage. Features like 8-bit output voltage programmability and stabilisation were implemented to make this type of high-voltage generator suitable for bi-stable display drivers. Design aspects and simulation results are discussed, as well as measurements on prototype generators implemented in the 0.7μm 100 V I 2 T100 technology from AMI Semiconductor.